Say Your Right Words
by FireDancer24
Summary: It's been 30 long years since a child has been wished away. So, naturally, the Labyrinthians are overjoyed when they hear the call. But, when this Lara Tyler comes along to save the Wished Away...she may prove to be more trouble than anyone bargained for. Contains sarcasm and swordplay, music and mayhem. All the while Jareth and the latest Runner are trying to outwit each other.
1. Chapter 1

Owls and Rainy Evenings

Rain drummed steadily against the windshield of my brother's sleek black '67 Mustang as we glided down the quiet city street. Street lamps, traffic lights, and neon signs illuminated the waters trickling down the cool glass, turning them into a shining collage of red, yellow, blue, and green. Strangely beautiful, considering such radiance was created by artificial light. I peered up through the water-stained glass. The late June sky above us was a dark grey canopy of clouds, heavy but not ominous, the western edges already turning a faint orange, indicating that this shower would be done before night fell completely. I sat back in my seat with a quiet sigh.

"You know, Will, I could have made the drive myself."

A muffled snort burst from the driver's seat to my left, followed by a clever voice slanted with a hint of an English accent. Much like mine... "You could? With what, I wonder... You know you're not to touch the wheel of my baby." He patted the dashboard affectionately. I suppose it was only right for him to be proud of that car. He'd saved up for it since he was twelve years old.

I rolled my eyes and scowled at the rain patterned window of the passenger door. "I could have taken the Subaru... Dad says I can use it whenever I like."

"As long as 'whenever you like' doesn't involve an evening excursion in pouring rain! Mum would never allow it, kid. Everyone knows I'm the better driver!"

I turned my glare from the window to the imp in the driver's seat. He was smirking at me. Bright, mischievous green eyes, like mine, that mop of dark hair, that familiar cheeky grin. Will. My ever-watchful, ever-annoying twin brother. He was barely six minutes older than I, but he never failed to hold those six minutes of 'extra charm, wisdom, and experience' over my head. Mischievous as he was, however, he was always looking out for me, always there for me. Even at 18 with his big plans and his bright future...Will kept a careful eye on his "little" sister.

I widened my eyes in imitated shock. "You big insensitive bugger. How could you state the obvious to my face like that?!"

He just winked and reached for the radio volume. "I aim only to please, beloved sister of mine."

The remainder of the journey passed quickly, time filled with The Proclaimers, bad sing-alongs, and various accent imitations. As we moved up Shadow Drive, my brother-in-law, Jamie, waved to us from the sheltered front porch of the pricy, two story, four bedroom, cream-colored urban house that he shared with my sister and their two children. Will waved back, pulled up to the curb by the perfect front lawn, and put the Mustang in park.

"Okay, kid. That'll be eighty-four dollars, tax and extra expenses not included. I'll write you a bill. Now get your stuff and get out."

I punched him hard on the arm, causing him to yelp loudly, but his grin remained. "There's your payment, _bud_. Thanks for the lift. Have fun bowling and tell Ryan and the guys I said hey."

He ruffled my hair playfully. "Will do! I'll text ya the scores later. Maybe I'll bring you a slice of cold victory pizza for breakfast tomorrow."

"That's my boy," I grinned at him, grabbed my backpack, jumped out, and walked up to join Jamie on the steps. Golden light of evening began to filter through the fading clouds and the rain lessened to little more than mist as I drifted up the stairs, the sound of Will's car engine fading away. _Things to do...places to go..._

"Hey, Lara," Jamie greeted me warmly with a one-armed hug and a smile. "Glad you could make it."

"Of course!" I said, returning his embrace. "Wouldn't miss it." I stepped back and smiled up at him. My brother-in-law was dressed quite handsomely in a neat button down shirt of light blue that enhanced his eyes, a pair of black slacks, smart brown leather shoes, and a blazer of darkest charcoal. His sandy brown hair was combed back and his overall posture was that of the cool, quiet confidence that came so easily to him. "Is Kat inside?"

"Yep. She's just getting the kids settled." He glanced at the screen door, through which the empty hallway could be seen, and leaned toward me conspiratorially. "Between you and me... She's been driving me crazy all evening. 'Do you think Lara will manage? Do you think the kids will behave? Maybe we should just order takeout and call it good.'"

I rolled my eyes. "You know Kat. Seeing smoke where there's no fire. Freaking out about giants when they're only windmills. It's a talent of hers."

"AUNT LAWA!" A streak of blue and gold crashed through the screen door and plowed into me, latching onto my legs with a grip like iron. I staggered and looked down at the huge, beaming eyes and toothy grin of little Alec. Just two months shy of three years old, Al was cute as a bug. He had golden curls above eyes of blue and a button nose to round it all off. Anybody to catch sight of the little fella would be instantly smitten.

I grinned and lifted the little boy in my arms, holding him out so I could look him up and down. He wore only a blue t-shirt and a pull-up, his chubby legs bare and kicking. "There you are! You ready for an awesome time with your favorite aunt?" Al nodded eagerly, curls bouncing as a high pitched giggle drifted through the screen door.

"You're his only aunt, Aunt Lara."

I looked through the screen and winked at the young speaker. My 5 year-old niece pushed through the door and trotted over to us on bare feet. Her ashy brown hair was neatly brushed and her little lilac colored dress (clearly a favorite) was adjusted to perfection. Her eyes, the same clear blue as her brother's, sparked with glee.

"Hello, Calpurnia. My, don't you look lovely!"

The little girl smiled shyly and shuffled her feet, giving a sudden squeal of delight when her father scooped her into his arms and tickled her. "I think she looks pretty as a goblin princess, don't you, Lar?"

I grinned. "Oh, yes... The fairest goblin princess I've ever seen!"

Callie laughed and squirmed. "I'm...n-not a goblin, Daddy!"

"Your Aunt Lara knows lots of goblin stories, Cal," came yet another voice from beyond the screen door. "You'll have to get her to tell you one." My sister floated out to join us with steps as smooth and graceful as a dancer's. Her honey blond hair was twisted up in an elegant French knot at the back of her head and she wore a flattering dress of midnight blue fabric that hung mid-calf and swayed delicately with her movements. In her right hand she held a small pair of trousers, obviously abandoned by my squirming nephew. Kat brandished them in my face. "You see what they do to me?! Animals!"

I laughed and snatched the article of clothing from her. "What've you done, Alec? Don't you like to wear pants any more?" The boy just shook his head, eyes twinkling mischievously. I grinned at Kat. "They get their talent for irritation from Will and me. Either that or Jamie was a little beast."

"Hey!" He protested. "I was the perfect angel! Just ask my mother."

"No, I see you and Will in them constantly." My sister put her hands on her hips. "It's enough to give me nightmares!" Katherine was the eldest. The first of the Tyler Trio, as we were so famously called. She was also the more traditional, the more nurturing, and the more up-tight in our family. She was the perfect daughter, the loving wife, and while she had lost most of her accent during our ten years of American citizenship, she was still very much the British mother.

I wished that I had taken after her more... Where Kat was calm, I was restless. Where she was sweet, I was surly. If someone angered her, she would ignore them and take it in stride, but not me...I would confront them, often with monstrous insults and fists flying. She was grace, I was speed. She liked dancing. I liked swordplay. She read proper books by proper authors like Jane Austen, while Will and I read every medieval fantasy novel, mystery, or knight's tale we could find. I also lacked her beauty, being shorter and plainer of face, favoring dark hair, like Will, over blond. _The rose and the rapier..._. Even our eyes were different. Will and I had sort of grey-sometimes-green eyes, whereas Kat's were a warm hazel like our mother's.

"It takes talent to be mischievous." I set Alec down, took off my pack, and handed it to Callie. "Take this to the living room for me, will you? Careful not to drop it and don't open it until I say. Dragons can be nasty when angered."

The girl looked at me with wide eyes. "There's a dragon in here?"

I winked. "It's a surprise." Callie grinned and walked into the house, taking each step as carefully as though she carried a basket of sleeping kittens. Alec followed quickly behind. I straightened up and glanced between my sister and her husband. "Now, you two are a fine looking pair. Better get out of here so I can spoil your kids."

Kat took me inside to their huge kitchen and showed me the extensive list of emergency protocol she had left on the fridge for me. The children had already eaten supper, but not dessert. Don't give them too much sugar. Graham crackers would do. They could watch TV, but only one program and it had to be over with at least half an hour before bed. Make sure the bath water isn't too hot. Use only the peach scented baby shampoo for the both of them. Their pajamas were laid out on their beds. Makes sure to take two minutes a piece when brushing their teeth. Calpurnia could do part of it on her own with supervision. Above all, make sure they were in bed by exactly 7:45. Not a minute before or after. She then proceeded to hug me and kiss the children no less than six times each before Jamie took her by the arm and led her toward the door.

I followed them out and walked them to the silver Nissan parked in the driveway. Kat hesitated with her hand still on the car door and looked back at me.

"We'll be fine," I assured her. "Go on and have fun. You'll be back at midnight. That's only five and a half hours. Enjoy them."

My sister paled. "Five hours..."

"Get in the car, Katie," Jamie smiled. "They'll be fine. What can happen in just five hours?" Kat sighed, gave me a feeble smile, and stepped into the car. Jamie nodded to me. "Thanks again, Lara. We really appreciate it."

"Not at all, Jame. Have a good time."

My brother-in-law smiled, closed the door, and started the car. As soon as the engine was running, my sister rolled down her window. "Call me if anything happens, Lara. Anything at all." The car backed out of the driveway and turned down the street. "My phone will be on all night! Don't hesitate to-" Her husband rolled up the window. I laughed and waved at them as they pulled away, my sister's eyes remaining glued to my face until they turned the corner and drove out of sight. _Poor Kat_... I chuckled and shook my head, turning to make my way back to the house.

I did not see the owl until I reached the first porch step. It was perched in the lower branches of the large elm tree that grew off the right side of the yard. A barn owl. He sat silently, like a pale shadow amongst the still damp leaves and twigs, watching me closely. I stopped and studied him a moment. It was so rare to find them in the city like this as, generally, they preferred the wider spaces of fields and forests. I loved owls...and this one was particularly beautiful. The feathers on his chest and heart-shaped face were white as snow whilst the ones on his back and wings were a mix of burnt gold, brown, and cream. And his eyes... His eyes were shining black coins in the growing evening and they radiated a strange, inhuman intelligence. I smiled. The bird blinked at me, then swiveled his head so far to the right that it was almost upside down, closing one of his eyes and balancing on one foot. _What the...?_ I stared at him. The owl stared back, opened his eye, straightened up, and repeated himself in the opposite direction, swiveling his head left. A light burst of laughter escaped me at this curious display. _What an odd creature..._ The bird righted himself and fluffed his feathers, clicking his beak in satisfaction. It was as if he'd wanted me to laugh. _Well...that was one of the stranger things I've seen this week..._ Still smiling, I climbed the stairs to the house, strangely aware that the owl was watching my every move.

I found my two young charges waiting patiently in the kitchen. "Right, my little salamanders!" I said, clapping my hands together. They grinned expectantly as my eyes sparked with impish glee. "Who wants ice cream?"

 **Hello all! Welcome to my first story. I've been writing for several years now, but I've only just plucked up the courage to put some of my work out there. I know this chapter is a bit long...a bit cliche...perhaps even a bit dull. But I hope at least to amuse someone... Anyone... I'm talking too much.**

 **Sorry for a slow start. I promise it will pick up within the next two chapters!**

 **Again, this is my first, so please accept my apologies for any errors/short comings in advance. I hope that you can be patient with me, as I'm still trying to figure all this out, haha. Any feedback, positive or otherwise, is more than welcome!**

 **Oh, and I do not own Labyrinth, though God knows I wish I did. I claim only the Tyler family...and a few others.**

 **Arrivaderci, for now!**


	2. Chapter 2

A Wish Made in Anger

I really did respect my sister's wishes...for the most part. I didn't give them too much ice cream. I bathed them, brushed their teeth, had them in their pajamas and in their bedroom by 7:30. It was no time for sleep, however...not yet. We sat in a circle on the floor beneath a fort constructed of a blanket suspended between Al and Callie's two small beds. The children lay propped up on pillows and blankets, casting curious looks between me and the mysterious green backpack that sat open on the floor next to me. I smiled at them.

"Are you ready to see what I've brought you?"

"Yes, please!" Chirped Callie, always the more talkative one. Alec, a man of few words, only squirmed in excitement.

"Right, then..." I reached my hand into the pack and withdrew a bundle of silk and scales. "This...is my scaly friend." I gave the bundle a shake and it unfolded to form the shape of a three-dimensional dragon puppet with silken wings and individual scales of polished metal. His eyes were amber, his scales silver, his hide and wings were silk, black and smooth. Originally a puppet, now turned pet with strings removed, it was the most magnificent toy dragon you would ever see. If you moved him just right, the amber in his eyes and the silver in his scales would catch the light, making him come alive. Both of the children gasped this time, wonder plain in their large eyes. I grinned and held him out for them to touch before placing the beast on the floor between them, positioning him to look as though he were sitting there of his own accord and listening to our every word.

I reached into the pack a second time and pulled out a small book, bound in green linen with its title printed in gold across the front. _Poems and Tales From the Labyrinth and Beyond_ , a collection of short stories and fairytales compiled by actress and author, Sarah Williams. I had acquired this book over three years ago, for my 15th birthday, and since then it had been one of my absolute favorites. Sarah's tales were so unique and intriguing, told with such skill and imagination. Some I knew from elsewhere, whereas others were completely new to me. I often wondered where her brilliant ideas came from.

"What is it?" Callie asked, squinting at the book's title, obviously trying to decipher the shapes and squiggles that she knew formed words.

I gave her a knowing grin. "Goblin stories."

Alec gasped softly and Callie cuddled her favorite toy unicorn to her chest. "Mama was right," she whispered to her brother, grinning ear to ear.

The first story told of a dwarf prince who went on a grand adventure with a grumpkin and married a fairy princess. The second told of Bartimeo the Wishing Dragon, anybody who sought him out and presented him with a suitable gift would be granted one wish. The third, one of my favorites, told the tale of the magnificent Labyrinth. As the story went, if ever a child was wished away with the magic words written by the Goblin King, the goblins would come and claim him, spiriting him away to the castle of their beloved king. If any soul were brave enough to try and rescue the child, they would be made to run the infamous Labyrinth that served as the castle's protection. Very few had ever done so successfully.

"You mean some children would have to stay with the Goblin King for ever and ever?" asked Calpurnia, her eyes sparking with interest.

I nodded. "If the child's champion fails to solve the Labyrinth in time, the Goblin King rejoices with a song and raises the child to be one of his _goblins_!" I poked Alec in the tummy, making him laugh.

"You wouldn't let that happen! Would you, Aunt Lara." Callie grinned.

"Never! I'd never say the words! Besides, that Goblin King wouldn't dare snatch you away." I winked. "He's afraid of me." The children laughed, as I turned to the next story in my book. "Now then... This story is about the Last Unicorn."

Al perked up then. "U...u-ni-corn?" He asked, the word almost too difficult for his toddler's tongue. "This?" He reached over and plucked the stuffed unicorn toy out of Callie's lap.

"Hey! Alec, that's mine!" Callie glared at her brother and made to snatch it out of his hands. Al's grip proved tighter than she had expected, however. Rrrriiiipppp. Callie gasped. Alec let go of the toy as though his hands had been burned. The unicorn's head was now hanging on by just a few stitches, the seam at its neck having given out under the sudden strain. Everyone went quiet then, startled by the sudden mishap.

"L-look what you did!" Callie shrieked at last, staring in horror at the pale stuffing that poured from the split seam. "Look what you did!" Alec cowered before her, eyes wide with terror. "You _killed_ her!" With a howl the girl leapt to her feet and ran from the room, collapsing our blanket fort as she did so.

"Callie!" I shouted after her, tossing the fallen blanket back off of my head. She did not respond, only kept raging in the hallway. I looked at little Alec. His face was pale with shock at his sister's anger, tears forming in his baby blue eyes.

"I-I'm _sah_ -wy..." he whispered, in a voice so small and full of tears that it stabbed me right in the heart. I pulled the little boy into my arms and hugged him tightly.

"I know you're sorry... But, you're not in trouble, okay? I'm gonna go talk to Callie. You wait here with our blankets and I'll make everything better, okay?" The baby nodded. "Good boy," I said, kissing his forehead and placing my dragon puppet in his lap. "I'll be right back." I rose, gave him a reassuring smile, and walked out into the hall to try and console my overreacting niece. She hadn't gone far.

"Look!" She shouted, brandishing that stupid unicorn at me with tears streaming down her cheeks. "Look what he did!"

"Callie, I saw what happened. It was an accident. Alec didn't mean to rip it."

"Ruined! It's ruined!" Callie wailed, throwing her damaged toy at my feet.

I picked up the unicorn and examined the wound in its stitching. "Callie, you're just being silly. I can fix this with a needle and some thread!"

"No, you can't! No one can fix her! Alec _killed_ her!" Purest rage and determination claimed her young features as she spoke her next words. "I wish the goblins would come and take him away! I hate him!"

" _Calpurnia!_ " I snapped, giving her a stern glare and choosing to ignore her childish reference to goblins. "Don't say 'hate.' Al is your baby brother. Your family. You don't mean that."

She narrowed her eyes defiantly and glared. "I _do_ mean it! I DO! I _hate_ him and I wish the goblins would take him away, right NOW!" She stamped her little foot, the impact making a muffled thump on the carpeted floor.

I scowled and opened my mouth, intending to give her a good tongue lashing for such behavior. Before I could say a word, however, before I could even move, the lights flickered and went out, plunging the two of us into purest darkness. It was so black and so sudden that I felt as if we had been cast into the deepest part of the ocean...swallowed by some monstrous beast. _Oh, God. Oh God, oh God, oh God..._ I struggled to keep my breathing even...feeling that all too familiar sense of dread rising in my stomach. All was silent. All was still. Callie gasped and lunged forward, catching hold of my arm an clinging to it for dear life. My breath caught in my throat, my spine tingled, and I could almost swear that I felt some ominous being's icy breath on the back of my neck. I blinked, my eyes slowly adjusting to the sudden night. All was silent. All was still. I looked down at little Callie, still clinging to my arm. Her small face was moon-pale in the feeble light that bled through my sister's prized curtains, her eyes wide, round pools of fear.

"It's only an electrical surge," I reassured her. "There's nothing to fear." Wasn't there? I was surprised to find that I was having difficulty persuading myself. I took the little girl's hand, leading her back to the room she shared with her brother. "Come on."

The girl shuddered, but followed without a sound.

"Alec?" I called softly through the gloom, placing my feet carefully so as not to trip. "Alec, are you okay? Don't be scared. The lights will be on soon." He made not a sound. "Al?" Once inside the children's room, the clouds outside shifted, casting bright silver moonlight through the windows, over the carpeted floor and the pile of pillows and blankets thereupon, over the childish paintings on the walls, across the two narrow beds, but it did not reveal the face of the little boy. "Alec, where are you?" No response... A quick stab of fear chilled my stomach and raised goosebumps on my skin. I reached over and toggled the light switch, out of habit more than anything else. My efforts, of course, were in vain. "Alec!" I moved into the middle of the room, Calpurnia in tow. Where was he? Why was he hiding? He couldn't have snuck off elsewhere in the house. He'd have had to run right past Callie and me. We would have heard him.

Suddenly, a cackle rose from the pile of blankets on the floor, a cold, sinister sound that sent icy fingers up and down my spine. "Al? Was that you?" I moved forward carefully and hooked my fingers beneath the edge of the blanket. "Are you trying to scare us?" I tugged the blanket away but did not find the boy beneath...only pillows and carpeted floor and...and a black, furry, thing. It had two arms, two legs, two massive yellow eyes, and a long pointed nose, sharp as a birds beak. I yelped and snatched my hand back, leaping to my feet and retreating to Callie's side. The thing cackled again and darted beneath Alec's bed, dragging the blanket behind it. Callie shrieked and flung her arms around my waist, burying her face in my side.

"Goblins!" she cried. "It's the goblins!" The wind outside began to howl violently, sending shadows of branches and wings dancing around the room, across our faces. The room began to fill with cackling, more dark shapes. Suddenly they were everywhere! In the hall, under the beds, in the beds, peeking out of the children's toy box, running out of the closet. My eyes were wide, my heart hammering violently in my chest. _What in God's name is this?!_ It was as if we'd stepped into a Jim Henson film. Instinctively, I held tightly to Calpurnia, keeping myself between her and the monsters and glancing around for a weapon. It was all I could think to do. My eyes fell upon Al's wooden sword and I snatched it up in my left hand, holding it defensively before me. When one of the black creatures came tottering toward us, I smacked it hard on the top of the head with my blunted blade, sending it scrambling for cover with a squeak. A tapping and a scraping drew my attention immediately to the window. Outside, a barn owl was beating at the glass with its wings, scratching at it with its talons. And then the window was open and the owl was inside, diving at my face, buffeting me with its wings. I ducked low and brandished my weapon at the demonic bird. But it simply flew out of my reach back to the window, where it landed...and changed. I don't know how else to describe it. The creature changed, its shadow elongating, shifting on the floor. Then the owl was gone. In its place, the moon carving his outline in the darkness, was a man.

 **Okay, now we've got the ball rolling a bit! It's a bit short, I know. But, remember...it will be picking up ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

The Goblin King

Never had I seen his equal. He was tall and lean, garbed in a flowing black silk shirt and leather vest, frighteningly snug trousers that frankly left little to the imagination, and knee high polished black boots. About his shoulders hung a long ebon cape that glittered blue when caught in the wind, a strange raiment completed by a high collar that framed his angular face. His hair was a pale blond, cut in a sort of spiked mullet that would have turned any hard-core rock musician green with envy.

The man took a few lazy steps toward us, hands upon his narrow hips, the ghost of amusement sparking in his eyes. Piercing, clever eyes...enhanced and made all the more intimidating by the outlandish silvery makeup applied to his eyelids. I scowled at this intruder and retreated two steps for every one of his, holding Callie firmly behind me and leveling my pitiful excuse for a sword at his chest. "Who the hell are you?" I snarled.

The man, seeming amused at my unease, opened his mouth to speak. To call his voice impressive would be an understatement. It was magnificent. Smooth and deep, flavored with a sly British accent. "Now, now, Lara...," he purred. "No need to be nervous."

I stared at him. He knew me. This glittery cacophony of weirdness knew my name. How was that possible? "I..." My voice came out a squeak, forcing me to start over. "I asked you a question."

The man chuckled. "You already know me, silly girl. And so does your young companion. Tell her who I am, Calpurnia..."

Callie clung to me, shivering with fear and excitement. "It's _him_. It's the...the Goblin King."

The man nodded in approval and gave me a look that plainly said: _You see?_ I blinked. He couldn't be... That was just a stupid children's story. Just a story. And he certainly didn't look like goblin royalty. Well...not that I actually knew what they should look like. But, when imagining the fabled Goblin King, I saw a vastly different image in my mind's eye. Certainly not this oddly dressed elfin...thing. And yet here he stood in all his creepy glory, surrounded by a small army of goblins, no less. _Good_ _God_ , _he_ _looks_ _like_ _Legolas_ _with_ _a_ _face_ - _lift_ _on_ _a_ _bad_ _hair_ _day_... In an act of desperation I caught my lower lip between my teeth and bit down, hard. It hurt. It hurt a lot. Dang it...maybe I wasn't dreaming.

"Very well... _Your Majesty_." _That's it... Be polite. Don't anger him_. "As I cannot deny that you exist, for plainly you do-well...unless this proves to be a freak hallucination-I must also assume that you have stolen my nephew. I want him back."

"Oho, is that the way of it?" The Goblin King folded his arms across his chest, tilting his head and looking at me with half-lidded eyes. His sharp angular features twisted into a smirk. "And you assume that I will just give you your way, do you?"

I scowled. "Your tone suggests otherwise..."

" _What's said is said_. And, as it happens... _you_ were not the one to say the words." He inclined his head toward my niece, who shrank pitifully before his gaze. "Sweet little Callie wished her brother away. Not you."

Callie paled, her eyes so enormous and full of fear that I felt I might drown in them. "I...I didn't..." She whimpered.

I squeezed her shoulder protectively and pressed her behind me. "She didn't mean it. She's only five years old!" I took a step toward the king without lowering my sword tip. "I speak for her. I claim full responsibility for her actions and I take her words back." Admittedly, I was quite proud of my courageous statement. _And_ quite proud of the fact that I was able to keep my gaze from drifting southward and locking on this dude's illegally tight trousers.

The Labyrinthian Weirdo was unperturbed. He smiled a lazy, catlike smile, his eyes chips of sharpened ice. "You assume too much." He reached out, quick as a snake, and struck my fake blade with two fingers. Suddenly, I no longer gripped a wooden handle, but a dull brown ribbon that fluttered limply from my trembling fingers. The goblins jeered and cackled as I stared at the remains of my weapon with frightened eyes. _Where's Will when you need him? Bowling, that's where_.

The king spoke again. "You haven't the power to undo what's been done, Lara... Age makes no difference when the words are spoken with such confidence and determination. Faith, as it happens, is the strongest magic in the world." He took a few steps toward me. "You must forget about the boy. Both of you."

I shook my head, trying hard to hold that piercing gaze without faltering. "Nope."

He sighed impatiently and rolled his eyes. "Fortunately, you are not the one I have to persuade..." He then lowered himself into a crouch and grinned at my niece. "Look here, Callie... I have a gift for you. And for your aunt as well, if she is wise." He gave his gloved hand a graceful turn and in his fingertips there appeared a sphere, thin as a soap bubble at first, but slowly solidifying into clearest crystal. Callie's eyes widened and she pushed away from me slightly, moving out from behind my back for a better look.

"Callie, no!" I warned, but the child might as well have been worlds away for all the good it did.

"What is it?" she asked, greedy curiosity in her sweet voice.

The king smiled. "A crystal...just a crystal," he said softly, beginning to turn the orb side to side, then rolling it back and forth over his fingertips with perfect balance and grace. I stared, almost mesmerized and more than a little jealous. I had seen contact jugglers performing similar arts, but none so smooth and talented as this king. The orb floated over his fingers, across the back of his right hand, flawlessly to his left, back to his right. "But if you turn it just so...and look into it..." He raised his eyes to mine once more, never pausing nor faltering in his motions. He had heterochromatic eyes, I realized. One hazel, one dark green, and both striking. Funny thing to notice at a time like that... "It will show you your dreams." I glared in response. The pale magician smiled again, turning back to Calpurnia. "Do you want this, little one?"

Callie was leaning toward him, staring hungrily at the polished crystal. Before she could say a word, however, I took her by the shoulders and faced her toward me, dropping to a crouch before her as the king had done. "We can't," I whispered. "Callie, we can't. We have to remember Alec. We have to get him back. Do you understand me? Think of how sad your mummy and daddy will be." Her eyes saddened, but she nodded. I stood and met the Goblin King's gaze once more. "We thank you for your...ah...generous offer, Your Majesty. But we cannot accept. I..." The king rose to his feet and studied me expectantly, his expression smug. I bit my lip, stubbornly forcing myself not to quail beneath his gaze and questioning the wisdom of what I was about to do. Surely there had to be some other path to take... Some other answer... Oh, for God's sake, of course there wasn't. Resigning myself to my peculiar fate, I inhaled. "I ask that I be allowed to undertake full responsibility as guardian of the stolen child, to serve as his champion and...and to be given the chance to solve your Labyrinth and bring him home."

The goblins gasped and muttered excitedly to one another while their king's eyes flashed something akin to surprise, before shifting to falsified pity. "Lara...Lara, Lara... Do you understand the implications of what you have just said?" He murmured after a long moment. "You must consider the wisdom of this..."

"I have."

He gave a subtle nod. "Then come." He moved over to the window on silent footsteps and beckoned for me to join him. I did so, cautiously, keeping hold of Callie's hand all the while. "My castle is just there." The king pointed out the window when I reached his side. The landscape outside was no longer the posh housing developments of the district in which my sister and her husband had decided to settle. In its place, stretching as far as the eye could see, was a strange and foreign land. My eyes drank in hills and valleys of yellow, green, and brown, vastly different when compared to the world from which I came. There, sprawling on for ages it seemed, was the legendary Labyrinth. Stone walls, columns, and passages, miles and miles of passages... It was massive, and yet not so intimidating as I had expected. At the center of the Labyrinth, towering over those strange lands, was the castle, perched like some odd yet majestic work of art amidst that twisting maze.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Inquired the king, his voice coming from behind me, back in the natural world. "I advise against it. I really do."

I turned and faced him, summing up my courage. "Of course I'm sure."

His eyes sparked with amusement. "So be it." He raised a gloved hand and snapped his fingers. My right hand, the one that had been holding Callie's, suddenly closed on thin air, causing me to look down in alarm. She was gone. Frantically, I cast around the room for her soft brown ponytail, for her crystalline blue eyes. They were nowhere to be seen.

I whipped around and glared at the Goblin King, purest rage etching itself upon my face. "What have you done?! You bring her back!"

The king only smiled. "Young Calpurnia is safe with her brother. She is the entrance fee you must pay if you wish to run in her place. Have no fear... I'll look after them for you. Mine is a fine world to grow up in. Consider it a sign of my generosity. Besides..." He stepped forward and placed his hands on my shoulders, turning me toward the castle once more. "You have other things to worry about just now..." I was about to come back with a biting retort and wrench out of his grasp, but before I could do so the world around me changed. The carpets beneath my feet shifted to compacted earth, the ceiling over head became dull grey sky, brown bare trees were now growing where there had been none before, and a dry wind tugged at my braided hair. Before me was the Labyrinth in all its massive glory, behind me: the unknown, and at my side the Goblin King was watching me closely.

"It's not too late, Lara..." He said softly. "I'll give you this one last chance. Turn back. Reconsider. Forget about them."

I turned and looked up at him once more. He stood quite close, too close, in fact. The wind teased through his pale blond hair and his cloak billowed around him, his eyes cool and clever. I shook my head. "No."

He nodded and pointed to a barren tree, an ornate clock with thirteen numerals painted around its face materializing in its branches. "You have thirteen hours in which to solve my Labyrinth." He looked me in the eye again. "Thirteen hours before the children become mine..." He began to back away from me, his outline slowly fading into thin air. " _Forever_." And then the Goblin King was gone, leaving me alone with the trees, the Labyrinth, and my impossible mission.

 **Okay, so this one was a bit shorter than the last. And a quick upload as well! Posts will take a bit longer from here on out, however. I'll run out of material too quickly otherwise.**

 **And yes, I realize that it's strikingly similar to the film as far as the build up, the Goblin King's flashy entrance, and several of his lines. But I figure Jareth for something of a creature of habit. If it makes him look, sound, or feel impressive, then by crikey, he's gonna do it.**


	4. Chapter 4

Into the Labyrinth

 _Thirteen hours... I've got thirteen hours._ The words kept repeating themselves in my mind as I trotted over brown earth and uneven stone, heading toward the Labyrinth walls and wishing for the umpteenth time that my brother was there. "Thirteen hours before the children become mine forever." What a pompous, flamboyant prat. With his scare tactics and his dramatic flair... What if I couldn't solve it in time? Had I made things worse by deciding to run? In place of losing one, I now ran the risk of losing both of them. What would happen if I failed? Would I be sent home alone? Would I be sent home at all? "Stop it," I muttered aloud. It was better not to think of what might happen if I failed... The only solution was to solve this thing as quickly as possible. That was all.

Brown earth shifted to dull paving stones as I moved beneath a carved arch and entered an ornate, yet unkempt courtyard. Damn, I wished I had more time...I'd have really loved to explore every inch of this place. But, as fate would have it, I didn't have the luxury. Over the stones and past an ugly fountain I ran, finally stopping to catch my breath at my first obstacle. The Labyrinth loomed before me, still and impregnable as China's Great Wall. First things first...hunt for a gate. The problem was the walls seemed to stretch on without break for ages and ages in either direction. _Good lord, which way to go?_ I groaned. If I was going to have this kind of trouble right off the bat then I could tell what kind of day it was going to be. Glaring at the walls, I swatted irritably at the glittery moths that had begun to flutter around my head. One of the moths swatted back and another yanked hard on a loose strand of my hair.

"Ai!" I yelped, trying to beat my assailant away. It only flew out of my reach and hovered directly in front of my face, leering at me. It was not a moth. To my astonishment, the thing had humanoid arms and legs and pointed ears that poked out between strands of long silver-gold hair that framed its tiny elfin face. Two silvery wings sprouted from its shoulders, beating rapidly to keep the little thing aloft. My God, it was a fairy. A real, living, glittering fairy! The little beast narrowed its eyes and stuck its tongue out at me. I scowled back. I'd never liked fairies. Nasty, stuck up, vicious little things. "Don't suppose _you'll_ tell me how to get in."

The fairy only chittered at me rudely and took a dive for my hair again. I swatted it away angrily. "Well, bugger off, then!"

The creature spun through the air with a squeal, righted itself, and flew away, staggering dizzily on its wings. I watched it go and sighed, placing a hand on the wall. "Well, here I am..." I muttered under my breath. "What's next? How do I get _into_ the Labyrinth?" As if by magic the ground shuddered, the air filled with a loud grinding noise, and the stones beneath my hand shifted, opening inward.

I gaped stupidly at the sudden gateway. It stood as though it had always been there, all faded stone and splintered wood. _Huh...that was easy._... I stood a moment longer, my feet suddenly unwilling to move. This was it. As soon as I stepped through that door my trials would begin. Whether the outcome would be good or bad, I could not say...but somehow I knew that my life would never be the same. I shuddered. Couldn't this all be a dream? A very weird and elaborate dream? Perhaps my own imagination had conjured the goblins, the fairies, and their tall glittery ruler with his crotch-pants... Actually, no. No way in hell had I invented the crotch-pants. That was all I needed to accept the reality of my situation.

And so, with my sanity confirmed, my clock counting down, and my niece and nephew waiting, I set my jaw and walked through the gate. On the other side, there was a single passage running perfectly straight, North to South. I glanced first one way, then the other. Both directions were perfectly identical. Narrow, endless, and littered with roots and vines. I felt my heart sink slightly at the vastness of it all. How freaking long would it take for me to find the first corner?! _I don't have time for this!_ Eyes narrowed, fists clenched, I exhaled and turned left, breaking into a dead run.

* * *

Meanwhile, many miles and doorways and passages away, Jareth the Goblin King rested lazily in the throne room of his castle, rolling one of his prized crystal orbs back and forth across his hands. All around him, goblins of various shapes and sizes engaged in some form of chaos or other. Chasing chickens, getting into fights, having swearing contests in Goblin Tongue. The cacophony was deafening, but the king didn't seem to mind. He was busy watching his latest challenge in the silvery depths of the crystal orb.

She was no different from all the others, really... Her face was nothing special, her voice rich, but unimpressive. Her eyes were somewhat striking, but he'd seen prettier eyes before. True, she had been brave enough to volunteer herself in place of her foolish niece. And she had been the first woman ever to threaten him with a wooden sword, a fact that he found more amusing than repelling. Jareth had to laugh aloud when she swatted the fairy, and shouted at it as well. Well now...perhaps this was a girl after his own heart.

The king's smile faltered slightly as he watched her discovery of the Labyrinth door without the help of the Gatekeeper, who for some annoying reason was not at his usual post. _Damn that blasted Hogwart...I_ _shall have to have words with him_. Regardless of the Gatekeeper's whereabouts, Lara Tyler had entered the Labyrinth and was now on her way. No matter... She wouldn't make it much farther. _Still_...

"Clutch!" He snapped. Instantly, a little goblin with wild black hair, a pointed beak-like face, and large yellow eyes appeared at his elbow.

"Your Majesty?" The little fellow asked, his voice high pitched, gravelly, and thickly accented with rolling 'r's and oddly enunciated syllables.

"Look here..." The king said, holding the orb in front of the goblin's pointed nose. "What do you see?"

Clutch squinted into the orb. "A girrrl?"

"That's right. I have a job for you, Clutch... I need you to keep an eye on this girl. I need you to follow her. If she gets too close, I need you to gain her trust and lead her astray. Do you understand?"

Clutch's eyes narrowed. "Clutch understands, boss. But... What means _a-shtray_?"

Jareth glowered menacingly, causing the little goblin to tremble in fear. " _Astray_ , you needle-nosed imbecile. You must lead her in the wrong direction. Do what ever you can to keep her away from this castle or it's the Bog for you!"

The goblin saluted him. "Yes, boss! No Bogses for Clutch, boss! I lead the girl _a-shtray_!"

"Get on with it," Jareth waved his hand dismissively and the goblin scampered off, carrying himself with a new air of importance.

The king sighed and took one last look at the girl in the crystal, before tossing the orb carelessly over his shoulder and leaning forward in his seat, looking over his two young captives. The little girl was trying desperately to keep a brave face, glaring at him viciously and keeping a tight hold on her terrified younger brother. The boy stared at the goblins with wide, frightened eyes, clinging to his sister with one hand and to a flimsy toy dragon with the other. _Time to make a move..._ The next hours would be wisely spent winning the children over. The king put on his most endearing smile and gestured for the children to come closer. When the little girl narrowed her eyes and shook her head defiantly, the king's smile only widened and he swooped forward to kneel before the children, goblins clustering around him excitedly. They had been waiting thirty years for this.

 _"You remind me of the babe,_ " he sang.

 _"What babe?"_ One of the goblins immediately replied.

" _The babe with the power."_

" _What power_?" Another goblin piped. Yes, they knew their parts well. The king would often resort to this song to endear his captured children to him and the goblins liked it almost as much as he did.

 _"The power of voodoo."_

 _"Who-do?"_

" _You do_!" It was already starting to work. Little Alec was watching the king with large eyes and even Callie's expression shifted to one of curiosity.

 _"Do what?"_

"Remind me of the babe." Jareth stood and winked at the children before striding impressively around his throne room and breaking into song completely.

 _"I told my baby,_

 _Crying hard as babe could cry!_

 _What could I do?_

 _My baby's love had gone,_

 _And left my baby blue!_

 _Nobody knew-"_

The king whipped round dramatically to face the children and spread his arms, the goblins joining him in the next verse.

 _"What kind of magic spell to use!"_

 _"Slime and snails_ ," grunted a goblin.

 _"Or puppy dogs' tails_ ," squeaked another.

 _"Thunder or lightening..._."

Jareth pointed at the children and grinned. _"Then baby said:"_

" _Dance, magic dance_!" Sang the goblins.

 _"Dance, magic dance!_ " The king echoed, spinning on the spot and winning a grin from little Alec.

 _"Dance, magic dance!_ "

" _Dance, magic dance!"_

 _"Put that baby's spell on me!_ "

Jareth could see a smile tugging at the corners of Calpurnia's lips.

 _"Jump, magic jump!"_

 _"Jump, magic jump!"_

Little Alec was laughing now at the jumping goblins and Calpurnia allowed one of them to take her hands and dance around the throne room with her. The king smiled and continued singing, slowly working his way into the hearts of his new heirs.

* * *

It took me longer than I'd like to admit to figure out that first passage. Turns out that it was all an optical illusion, that there had in fact been several openings, perfectly aligned with the adjacent walls of the next passage over, rendering them invisible to my untrained eyes. Finally, by some lucky accident- well...if you call losing your temper and violently kicking the wall a lucky accident -I did manage to figure this out and find an opening. From there the Labyrinth only grew. I came across passage after passage. One turning led to another and so on until I began to encounter clusters of more than one opening. As many as three or four different passages would open at once, leaving me with more and more decisions to make. I tried to keep logical. Choose the one that at least points in the right direction. Try to keep the castle in sight. Keep moving. Run where possible. Don't stop. Twice I hit a dead end. Thrice I came back out on the same junction. It was increasingly difficult to keep from getting frustrated, but I forced myself to memorize each step I took. Also, to keep from screaming, I took to inventing and singing lyrics to the bizarre eighties pop music that drifted down from the Goblin King's castle.

 _"Have I gone crazy?_

 _Just what am I doing here?_

 _I've got no clue._

 _This creepy blond guy came_

 _And stole my poor nephew!_

 _Right then, I knew_

 _I'm gonna have to kick his ass!_

 _And get the kids back..._

 _From that maniac..._

 _So watch out, Your Highness..."_

I was really beginning to enjoy myself. The voice emanating from the castle was rather infectious, and the music made me want to dance in a way only eighties music can. Unfortunately, my song was interrupted by the discovery of orange and black fuzzy things scooting around on the stone floor. I thought they were mice at first, but closer inspection revealed them to be nothing more than little balls of fur, almost like the little pom-poms that Callie was fond of using in her art projects, that moved and behaved like living creatures. _There's something you don't see every day..._ Intrigued, I caught one gently in my left hand. Its fur was soft as a chinchilla's and it glittered, but as soon as I lifted it off the ground it began to squeak and squeal in terror. It's fellow fuzz balls reacted to its cries by rolling forward and attacking my shoes, bouncing against them viciously and uttering various squeaks and high pitched war cries of defiance. I couldn't help but laugh at the brave little buggers.

"Alright, then," I said softly, placing my captured fuzzy back on the ground amongst its brothers. The little thing fluffed its fur irritably and rolled away with its family.

Still grinning, I straightened up and noticed the door for the first time. _That wasn't there before..._ It was tall and elegant, with gracefully twisting band work inlayed in the wood and flanked on either side by old suits of armor. I glanced slowly to my left and right. I now stood in a dead end passage with no inkling as to how I had gotten there. A glance behind me sent chills up my spine. Stone. I was boxed in. Boxed in with two choices: climb the walls or go through the door. The latter seemed far less strenuous so I put my hand upon the great iron handle. But when I pressed down, it did not budge. I tried again, using both hands and putting all my weight behind it. Nothing.

 _Dammit_... I stepped back and scowled. _Now what?_ I'm boxed in with no way back and only one way forward... No way back, one way forward... In my impatience, I found myself wishing for an ax, a flamethrower, or even a hand full of grenades. _Anything_ to get me back on track. _Lara, you're not doing this right. Think...use that head of yours._

And so, doing the polite thing, I reached up and knocked three times. At first, nothing happened, but then the iron band work began shifting on the wood, twisting and shaping to form...words. Eight lines of words.

 _For those who wish to enter here_

 _You'll find the cost is great_

 _The bravest ones claim to have none_

 _But they too must meet this fate_

 _To pass beyond this doorway_

 _You must tell me something dear_

 _You must reveal to me your weakest self_

 _And confide your greatest fear_

I felt my blood run cold, as flashes of memory swarmed unbidden to the fore of my mind. What kind of sick joke was this? _I have to reveal my weakness to a **door**? Is that what it's asking?_ I read the lines again, wracking my brain for any hidden meanings. It really seemed pretty straightforward. And if it was, that could only mean... _I only have to speak the words...it's not like I'm instantly gonna be plunged into_... I felt my palms start sweating at the very thought, my heart rate elevating slightly. _Just say it... I'm wasting time. Just say it, coward._

I took a breath, swallowed dryly...took another breath. _Oh, for God's sake!_ _It's been fourteen years!_ "My greatest fear is...is confinement in absolute darkness." My words sounded silly and thin, like a little girl's. When spoken aloud, it really did sound stupid. _Wasn't so bad, was it?_

For a moment, nothing happened. I felt my heart rate slowly returning to normal before the silence was broken by a creaking of hinges as the door swung inward. Beyond was a sight that turned my stomach. It was a tunnel. A long black tunnel. Absolutely black, with only the smallest point of light way off in the distance. I felt my head start to spin, fear and anger fighting for control of my features. _What a nasty trick! What a sick, nasty thing to do!_

"Damn... Damn, damn, _damn_ _!_ " I paced back and forth, breathing methodically as Will had so often reminded me to, trying to keep my composure. _You like to think you're so brave, don't you, Lara. Well, look at you_ _now. You sad, scared little girl._ I ran my hand through my hair again and again as I felt the threat of a full blown anxiety attack looming behind me...like the grim reaper.

 _Breathe, Lara..._. Whispered Will's voice... My mother's voice... Kat's... Dad's... _Remember to breathe. It's not so bad, l_ ook... I stopped pacing and forced myself to look into the darkness once more. It was still and black and impenetrable. I could feel the dampness from within its depths... I could hear the steady. _..drip...drip_... Just like the well...

"Lara, that is enough!" I snarled aloud, filling my voice with all rage and defiance that usually came so naturally to me. "You have children to rescue. It's not that far to the end, look at the light. Suck it up and get it done." I inhaled deeply and faced the doorway, preparing to run as fast as I could.

Before I did so, my eyes drifted to the left suit of armor...and the longsword that it grasped in its mailed fists. It was tempting. Too tempting. Besides, if a weapon didn't make me braver, nothing would. My fencer's hands moved almost of their own accord, reaching out and prying the ancient steel from rusted fingers.

 _Aw, hell yaaassss..._ I felt a clever grin pulling at my lips, momentarily forgetting my fear, and curled the fingers of my left hand around the cracked ebony handle. I turned the blade slowly this way and that, tracing careful circles in the air. Admittedly, it was a bit heavy, and too long for me, but I already felt better with steel in my hand, ancient or no. And really, for such an old piece, it was in okay condition. Quick as a snake, I slashed the blade through the air, spun, and slashed again. _Sweet_... Not perfect, but it would certainly do. I ran my fingers along the flat of the blade. "Oh, Goblin King..." If I made it through that darkness, he was gonna have a hell of a surprise.

It felt wrong to just take it though. I patted my pockets, searching for anything worth trading before pulling out the little slip of paper from my fortune cookie several hours before. _Good luck follows you wherever you go_. _Ha! Yeah, right... Would I be preparing to do something that turns my stomach if that_ _were true?_ No. Carefully, I reached out and slipped it into the armor's mailed hand. Okay, maybe it wasn't exactly a fair trade...but the suit of armor wasn't complaining. In fact, I could have sworn that the armor relaxed slightly when I closed its fist around the fortune.

"Psst. Can she do that?"

"No idea."

"Pretty sure that's against the rules, that is."

I must have leapt thirty feet into the air, searching in panic for the source of the voices. How strange... I could have sworn that they emanated from the hollow helms of those two suits of armor, echoing and metallic. I stared at first one, then the other, my skin crawling and cold.

"Righty, she's taken your sword."

"Yes, Lefty, but you saw the fortune she gave me... And what do I need that rusted butter knife for? Let her keep it, I say."

"Whatever you like, Righty..."

I gaped. They didn't seem to realize that I could hear them. I was about to open my mouth to speak, but they continued in their conversation.

"Cor, Lefty, I wish she didn't have to use this door... She seems a nice little thing, and you know what's through there..."

"Aye, Righty, but she hasn't a choice, has she? She'll die for certain. But, alas, she'll be out of her torment."

My face paled. _She'll die for certain?_ That didn't sound good at all. I began to feel dizzy again. Of course, they could have been lying... Could have been trying to convince me to give up.

"What's through there?" I asked suddenly.

"Ah, love..." Righty said, so named for his placement to the other suit's right, despite his position on the left side of the door. "Certain death for you. I can't tell you how I wish I could pull me rusting limbs from this wall and guide you... But you must face your fate alone."

"Be brave whilst you die, my lady..." Lefty said. "Thy reward shall be in Heaven."

I glanced between the two, a scowl of defiance settling upon my features. _Nope... No way. Sod this... Sod this. Sod the Labyrinth. Sod the bloody king._

"Not today." I bowed low to the two of them, thanked Righty for the sword, and turned to face the farthest corner of my sudden prison. _I suppose this could work...it's only about ten feet and those bricks_ _should be good footing._ Ignoring the probing questions of the Empty Knights and removing my belt, I tied it in a knot around the blade of my new sword, just below the cross guard. Then I wrapped the belt around my upper body, over my left shoulder, under my right, and fastened it there, so my sword was slung across my back and safely out of the way.

"This had better work..." I muttered to myself. I'd seen Will do it dozens of times. Of course, he was taller and stronger than I was. And parkour was more his thing than mine. _Shut up and do it, Lara, you wuss. It's this or the tunnel, and we know you won't survive that._

I ground my teeth, squared my shoulders, and took a running jump. Once airborne, I planted my left foot on the ipsilateral wall of the far corner and propelled myself upward, doing the same with my right foot on the adjacent wall and so on until I ran out of momentum. At the last minute, my feet slipped, sending my heart leaping into my throat and causing my to flail wildly for a grip on something, anything. By some lucky miracle, I had gained enough height by then to just barely hook my finger tips on the wall top. I hung there panting like a dork before kicking and scrambling and finally managing to pull myself up. The suits of armor were exclaiming from down below.

"Sweet Glory! The girl can fly!"

"Oi! She can't do that! Can she do that?"

"Beats me! But, cor, did you see that jump?!"

Turning from them, I stood up and took in my surroundings. The Labyrinth sprawled out before me like a great map, miles of stone walls...then hedges...forest...what looked like mounds of...something...and finally that lovely, dingy castle plopped right in the middle. God, this was fantastic! The stone wall was a good ten to fifteen feet tall in places and oscillated between three to five feet in width. I might have to jump a gap here or there, but that I could deal with. Better than the darkness... By squinting, I could already sort of make out a pathway right through! It was almost certainly cheating, but I didn't care. Laughing aloud, I began to trot along the wall top. Much later, I would learn that I needn't have bothered with such risk. That I would, in fact, have saved myself hours of precious time if I'd just been brave enough to go through the stupid door. Misinterpretation of the guards' warnings had led me to believe that some great danger had resided in that tunnel...when in reality it would have led me directly to the castle. You see, the guards had merely been trying to protect me from the Goblin King.


	5. Chapter 5

**A Duel and an Oubliette**

"Do you have any twos?"

"Hmm... Nope! Go fish, Little Callie."

The girl scowled in response, pursing her little rosebud lips and squinting those clear blue eyes in distaste as she plucked a card from atop the deck that lay on the little table between them. Her expression brightened immediately, a dead giveaway as to the card's usefulness to her. Giggling, she slapped down a two of clubs and a two of hearts, leaving but one card in her hand. "Your turn, Goblin King!" the girl said with a sweet, self satisfied smile.

Jareth feigned dismay and scanned the cards in his hand theatrically. "Dear me... You are beginning to make me very nervous. Let's see now... Do you have any sevens?"

"Nope!" she crowed triumphantly. "Go fish!"

The king did as he was told...and threw a hand over his eyes dramatically.

Callie grinned. "Bad card?"

He sighed wearily. "My dear, it's a terrible card... Your turn."

"Do you have any sixes?" she blurted immediately. Jareth looked at his hand, screwed up his face, and passed her the card.

"Lady Calpurnia, you have defeated me!"

The girl beamed in delight, her little face glowing in triumph. "I _told_ you I was a Go Fish champion!" Her expression softened then, and she reached out to pat him on the arm. "You'll get better, don't worry."

The Goblin King stared at her for a moment, feeling that peculiar tugging in his chest again. _Jareth, enough of this_...he admonished himself. _You are a king, for God's sake. You mustn't go soft over a little girl._ "You are a good teacher, Little Callie."

"Ooh! Ooh! King!" A rather stocky goblin with boar like tusks protruding from his lower lip began jumping up and down by Jareth's elbow. "Scragg gits ta play th' winner! R'member?"

Jareth rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Yes, alright. Get on with it," he snapped, rising from his seat. "But if you so much as try to cheat, I shall hurl you headfirst into the Bog of Eternal Stench. Understood?"

Scragg saluted him. "Understooded, Majesty!"

"And Mort plays next!" chirped yet another goblin.

"Then Tweak!"

At least five other goblins crowded around the little card table, all clamoring in excitement. Callie giggle and began to explain the rules to Scragg.

Jareth watched her a moment longer before striding across the throne room. Curled up in the king's throne and wrapped in his midnight cape lay Little Alec, toy dragon clutched to his chest...eyes closed in peaceful slumber. It hadn't taken long for him to relax enough to fall asleep. Especially not when Jareth had hummed an old lullaby for him. Satisfied with the boy's comfort, Jareth moved on to the window and leaned gracefully against the ledge, looking out over his domain.

"Well now, Lara mine... Shall we see how you fare?" With a languid turn of his fingers, a crystal took shape. Within its depths the form of young Lara slowly came into focus. She had acquired a proper sword by the looks of it...and she was smiling to herself. "What makes you smile so, sweetling?" he muttered, willing the image to expand and show him her whereabouts. _Well, well, well, that little cheat! Look at her prancing along the wall tops, so bloody pleased with herself! And where the devil is Clutch?!_ Jareth felt ready to spit flames. "Not on my watch, precious!" He hurled the crystal at the wall, where it exploded in a shower of glitter.

"Hildy!" he barked. Moments later a short, plump, female goblin in a scruffy brown dress came scurrying to his side.

"You called, Majesty?"

Jareth stalked up and down in agitation. "I need you to look after the children. Something's come up."

The little she-goblin beamed. "Ohhhh...Hildy loves children, King. I'll look after 'me like they was me own babies."

"See that you do." With that, he spun on the spot and vanished from the throne room.

* * *

Seventeen minutes later and all was going smoothly. The walls were almost too easy to navigate and the distances simply melted away. I grinned broadly as I pranced along the wall top, so pleased with myself that I began to sing as I travelled.

" _Don't let me hear you say life's taking you nowhere, Angel!_

 _Look at that sky, life's begun_

 _Nights are warm and the days are young_

 _There's my baby ,lost, that's all_

 _Once, I'm begging you save her little soul!"_

This was great. If I got the kids back with a few hours to spare, it was only a welcome bonus. That fancy blond ruler would just have to eat it! I hopped a small gap and landed easily on the other side, gleeful energy filling my voice and prancing in time as I reached the next chorus.

 _"I'll stick with you baby for a thousand years!_

 _Nothing's gonna touch you in these golden year-"_

I halted mid-note as a high pitched, masculine voice melded with my own on that last line...and not unpleasantly, I'll admit. I whipped around in alarm, weapon already half drawn. But, it was only the Goblin King standing there with arms crossed, foot tapping impatiently, and a look of lazy disapproval upon those angular features. He was clad in different garb this time, having abandoned that ominous black cape of his and traded his midnight blouse for one of purest white, partially opened at the front to expose several inches of smooth bare chest. I couldn't help but notice the peculiar amulet of white gold resting there against his skin. "Lara Tyler, what under earth do you think you're doing?"

I quickly shifted my look of dumb surprise into a scowl. "Singing. That a crime?"

The king tutted. "No, no, of course not... And I must say, I applaud your song choice. But, sweet Lara...you are a terrible cheat. Walking the walls is against the rules, naughty girl. I expected better of you!"

"I don't remember you giving me a list of rules when you dumped me on that hilltop. Now if you'll excuse me, I have children to rescue." I bowed mockingly turned to continue on my way...only to find the crotch-pants king standing directly, and I mean _directly_ in front of me. I yelped and glanced over my shoulder, but there was only empty space where he had been milliseconds before.

"Have you always been such a bother?" he sighed, without backing from my personal space. "I certainly expect so. But, before I force you from these walls, I want you to tell me... How are you enjoying my Labyrinth?" That smirk of his made me want to punch him in the mouth.

"You know...it's not all that bad..." I smiled sweetly and reached back for my blade. "But, you made a bad choice in words, sire. Nobody _forces_ me to do anything." In a heartbeat, my sword was in my hand and I was holding its edge to the side of the Goblin King's neck. "Move."

A smirk tugged at his lips and those mismatched eyes glinted. "Really, my pet? I must insist otherwise." Before I could even blink, a ringing was in the air, the sound of steel on steel, and my sword arm lurched to the side. The Goblin King slipped into a fencer's stance, a slim silver rapier having materialized in his right hand. "Put that thing away and climb down from here like a good girl."

I gaped at him in surprise, before a clever smirk spread across my face. Finally! This was what I had wanted all along, wasn't it? Mirroring his stance, I slipped my boughten sword into my right hand as well. The better to keep him on his toes.

If he was irritated by my defiance, he did not show it. Instead, his catlike grin widened, and a strange, hungry light burned in his eyes. He made a formal salute with his blade. "En guard, Lara Tyler."

I mimicked the gesture. "Touché, Your Majesty."

The Goblin King smiled...and pounced, moving faster than I could have thought possible. But I was ready. My blade met his with a resounding clang, and so began our dance. For a moment, it seemed that we were well matched. My sword was a bit heavy for me, but blow for blow, I met him and returned in kind. Exhilaration made my movements swift, my steps quick, my senses sharp and alert. Blow for blow. Strike for strike. The smile never faded from the Goblin King's face as he bobbed and wove, lunged and parried. I couldn't help but admire his skill. He wasn't a flowery, fancy fighter. He was steady. Precise. Like someone totally and completely at ease in his movements. Moments passed, and I found myself wondering if we would go in like that forever...but then the game began to change. His strikes came faster, stronger, harder to defend against. I felt my eyes widen in poorly concealed surprise. _He's better than me!_ To my dismay, I was forced to switch my blade to my more skillful left hand in order to keep up with him. The king noticed this and laughed.

"A thief and a miscreant as well, are you?" He parried, sidestepped carefully on the narrow wall top, and made a graceful arcing slash toward my left shoulder. I whipped my own heavy blade up to meet his. "Which of my poor idiot subjects is running around without a weapon?"

"I didn't _steal_ it!" I feinted toward his left hip, recoiled, and turned it into a lunge. "I paid a fortune for this sword!" A half exhausted chuckle slipped from my throat at my own wit. _God, I'm funny..._

"Ha!" The king batted my blade away with sickening ease. "It was a fortune ill spent... You can barely wield that glorified coal-stirrer!"

I ground my teeth and made no reply. He wasn't wrong. My arm and wrist were beginning to ache with the weight and clumsiness of the longsword. My strikes and slashes were crude and sloppy in comparison to the Goblin King's elegance. He blocked every one of my blows effortlessly, almost lazily, as if he was using only the minimal amount of energy to execute each move. He allowed my blade so close... _so close_ to touching him. At one point it made his pale hair flutter. But as close as I came to hitting him, he came closer still. He tapped both of my shoulders without drawing blood. He allowed the tip of his blade to trace my collarbone, faint as a whisper. He even tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear without so much as pricking my skin. I felt my face and neck grow hot with exertion and frustration, the shame of it all. _Is he_ _ **toying**_ _with me?!_ Damn it, he was having the time of his life! That stupid smug grin on his face... Soon, I was forced to double my grip on that bloody sword hilt. We went on like that for half a minute more...until he smacked me across the back of my right thigh with the flat of his blade. I have never been so furious in my entire life.

"AHH! THAT IS _IT!_ " I swung my heavy longsword as hard as I possibly could, putting every ounce of strength I had into it. Unable to withstand the stress of such a blow, the king's slender rapier sheared in half with a musical ringing of steel, leaving him holding just the hilt and about a foot of blade in his hand. He stared at the ruined sword in astonishment, his mouth slightly agape. I whipped my own blade up and leveled the tip at his throat, glaring daggers and breathing heavily. "WILL YOU _PLEASE_ MOVE?!"

To my absolute confusion, the king's look of wide-eyed shock dissolved immediately, to be replaced by a clever smile and a nonchalant shrug. "Of course." He stepped aside with a flourish.

I gaped at him, completely at a loss. "Wait a minute... What?"

He just fixed me with that catlike grin, a slight twinkle in those mismatched eyes. "You politely asked me to move, so I did. I really don't see what all the fuss was about, Lara mine."

"But...you just...I just worked my ass off to beat you in a duel! Well...not that it was that hard...not _really_. B-but, now your telling me that if I'd just asked nicely in the first place I could have saved the time?"

"I'm a staunch believer in manners, my pet. It can't be said that my mother didn't raise me well. You asked me politely, so I granted your request. You are free to go."

I stared at him in disbelief. _I really don't get this guy..._ "I still won the duel."

He shrugged casually and examined his fingernails. "Apples and oranges. Either way, your path is clear."

I frowned at him. This was really weird... But I didn't have time to puzzle over it, so, like an idiot, I began to shuffle on past him. "Thanks. You know, if you were this reasonable all the time I might not hate you so much. Not so bad with a blade, either, for a guy in tights."

"Why, thank you, Lara mine... You're not so bad with a blade yourself. And I hoped you'd notice my lower garb...I put them on especially for you." He reached out and ruffled my hair playfully.

I whipped around in anger, and was just about to shout at him again when I got he fright of my life. The ground dropped out from beneath my feet and I began to plummet through empty space. A cry of terror tore from my lips and I could have sworn my life was flashing before my eyes...but as quickly as my fall began, it stopped. I had been caught by someone, or rather, many someones as I could feel them all grasping my clothes, my arms, my legs. I squinted through the gloom, trying to make out the faces of my rescuers. To my absolute horror, I realized by the feeble light of day some ten feet above, that I was being held aloft by dozens upon dozens of disembodied hands. _Hands_. All grey and dark and perfectly bodiless. It kinda sent me over the edge. "AAAAHHHHHH! SWEET EFFING GLORY! HOLY EFFING HELL!" I screeched and squirmed and writhed, trying to free myself from this nightmare.

"What seems to be the matter, Lara?" called a casual voice from above. "Having a bit of trouble?"

I directed my attention toward the face peering down at me, shooting him a look that would have melted stone. "GOBLIN KING, YOU LYING, CHEATING, SONOFA-"

"When did I lie to you, sweetling?" he asked innocently. "I thought you wanted to walk the walls."

"YOU SET ME UP!" I roared.

"I did not!" He looked affronted by such an accusation. "I just gave you what you asked for. Was _I_ supposed to know there was a trap there?"

"IT'S _YOUR_ LABYRINTH!"

He shrugged. "Apples and-"

"GET ME OUT OF HERE!"

"Well, perhaps if you asked nicely and sweetly like the darling girl you are. What happened to your lovely manners?"

"STUFF MY MANNERS, YOU FANCY BLOND CREEP!"

"Oh, come now... Flattery will get you nowhere."

Seething, I was just planning a thousand and one ways to murder that guy when an eerie, hissing voice echoed through the tunnel.

"Do be quiet, lady... Such a racket is most unbecoming." To my immediate left, free hands formed themselves into a face. It was from this the voice emanated.

"Oh, my God..." I looked up imploringly at the Goblin King, but he only watched in amusement.

"We are the Helping Hands, my lady," said yet another hand...face... _thing_. "Which way, now? Up? Or down?"

It took a moment to properly find my voice again, and when I did it trembled. "U-up. I'd like to go back up, please."

"No, no, no! I think not!" the king called. "You are to take Lara down. It will give her some fresh perspective..."

"Down, the king says?" echoed one of the voices.

"Aye. So down it shall be," said another.

"Goblin King?!" I cried, gripped with fear. _Not the dark. No, please, not the dark again..._

"Best of luck, Lara mine," he called, smiling.

I watched his face until it disappeared as I began to move downward again, this time assisted by the Helping Hands. Down and down into that dreaded darkness. Down and down into an oubliette.

 **Okay! Here we are with yet another! This one was just a bit silly, I know... But, come on! Who doesn't like a bit of sword fighting action? And poor Lara looks like she's in for a bit of a rough go down there in the dark... She didn't deserve that one... Or perhaps she did. After all, she** _ **was**_ **cheating, wasn't she? Maybe this will tone down her little ego a bit.**

 **Anyway, I want to say thank you once again to GrowingThroughTheCracks for a lovely review and for helping my out with a bit of a bump in the road. I hope this story will be worth it to you.**

 **As always, ladies and gents (if there are any of you), any feedback, positive or otherwise, is more than welcome.**

 **I do hope you keep reading...**

 **-FireDancer**

 **P.S. And _please_ , Mr. George R.R. Martin... Don't sue me for using the word "sweetling". I'm not sure if you coined it, but I'd rather be safe...**


	6. Chapter 6

**Unexpected Friends in Unexpected Places**

It brought Jareth immense satisfaction to watch Lara Tyler's pale face sink into the blackness of the oubliette, her eyes wide and fearful. _Serves you right, you little viper..._ He narrowed his eyes at the broken sword in his hand before tossing it impatiently aside. _The steel was far too thin. Her blade was castle forged for brutality. That's the only reason she..._ No. She _hadn't_ won. Wasn't _she_ the one descending to rot in an oubliette while _he_ was the one left standing? Besides...had they been dueling properly with matched blades, she wouldn't have had a hope in hell. Jareth turned from the trap door and prepared to leave, but was stopped in his tracks by a thin quavering _sound_ emanating from the chasm.

" _No... No, no, please, no..._ " Lara's voice echoed faintly up from the depths. She sounded so weak. So frail. Much to the king's disgust, he could feel some sort of... _pang_ tapping through his chest. He immediately stifled it. She was getting what she deserved. _Exactly_ what she deserved... Wasn't she? _Don't you dare...don't you_ _ **dare**_ _, Jareth..._ Part of him was drawn to look down into the blackness once again...to call for the Hands to halt the girl's descent and bring her back up into the light. This too, he fought down.

"Girl is afraid of the dark, Boss," a voice said from behind him. Jareth nearly jumped out of his skin. He gave an undignified gasp and whipped around, a menacing snarl forming itself upon his features when he recognized the speaker.

"Clutch! You little cretin! Where have you been?! Why the _bloody_ hell did you let her walk the walls?! You were supposed to slow her down, not let her do whatever she bloody well pleases!"

The little goblin yelped in alarm and stumbled backwards, nearly falling off the wall in his terror. Jareth rolled his eyes as the creature scrambled forward and flung himself at the king's feet. "Clutch sorry, Your Majesty! Clutch is bad! Clutch-"

" _Shut up!_ " Jareth snapped. Clutch immediately clapped his hands over his mouth. "What did you say about the girl?"

" _Mmff gmmffff mmhhmmmffffg-_ "

 _"Take_ your hands _off_ your mouth."

"Clutch said: girl is afraid of the dark. She says so at Scary Door. Good plan to drop her in Oubliette, Boss. She so scared, she never find her way now!"

Jareth was momentarily stunned. Lara? Afraid of the dark? He frowned and looked toward the trap door. It seemed so strange...so out of character for a girl as fierce and insufferable as that one to be afraid of something as simple as the dark. Something so natural. _Darkness, Lara? Really?_ He wondered why. He wondered if she was just irrationally bothered by it, as some humans tended to be... Or perhaps something had happened to her in her short lifetime to spark this fear, and if so...what? The knowledge of her strange weakness shouldn't have changed anything. Not even a bit. In fact, he should have been thrilled at this discovery, at this...new _power_ he now held over her. But all Jareth felt was a rising unease in the back of his mind... It was one thing to trick his opponents and slow them down...quite another to exploit their greatest weakness so mercilessly. Their greatest fear... Her frail voice echoed through his mind once more. " _No, no, please, no..._ " And hadn't she practically begged him to get her out of there? There was that pang again. Tapping and tugging, feeling disturbingly close to something like... _sympathy_. Jareth's scowl deepened. Enough. Enough of this. That kind of thinking would have to stop. Right now.

"Clutch, I gave you a simple job to do. You failed. Give me _one_ good reason not to throw you in the Bog this very instant!"

Clutch's yellow eyes widened in dismay. "Noooo, Majesty! No Bogses! Clutch do better! You see! Clutch make sure girl _stay_ in oubliette, Boss! Clutch keep her in scary dark til Time's Up! You see, Boss! Clutch-"

"Alright, alright, shut up, will you?" The king massaged his temples in attempt to ward off the headache that Clutch's shrill howling was beginning to induce. In attempt to ward off the _sympathy_... "I'm going to give you this one last chance. But, I want you to keep your distance for as long as possible. I want you to let the darkness do its work. With any luck, she will be reduced to a blubbering mess before she even gets close to an exit. If she does happen to stumble upon one...then you make your move. Not before. Do you understand me?" Good God, even his own words tasted of guilt. He almost hated saying them. Clutch nodded his head so vigorously, Jareth thought it might fly off like a Firey's.

"Also..." he continued. "In order to win her over and gain her trust, you must convince her that you are her _friend_. And the best way to do that is to tell her how awful you think I am."

Clutch looked at him aghast. "Your Majesty is not awful!" he cried indignantly. "Majesty is the bestest, kindest, awesomest, goodest-"

"I know, I know..." Jareth waved a hand dismissively. "But, _Lara_ doesn't think that, now does she? If you just _pretend_ to hate me, she will trust you immediately." _Why_ did he feel disappointed by his own words? It was the truth. She hated him. Any fool could see that. But. He. Didn't. _Care_...right? "Do you understand?"

"Clutch understand, Boss. Clutch is good at playing pretend. Clutch do a _perfect_ job. You see!"

Jareth nodded. "See that you do..." With that, the king gave the goblin a swift kick and sent him toppling into the abyss. Clutch yelped only once before falling stoically silent and allowing the Helping Hands to carry him downward. Jareth made sure to mentally ask the Labyrinth to _**rearrange**_ and drop Clutch where Lara couldn't see him. As he said before...it wouldn't do for her to have company too soon. Despite all these ridiculous pangs and tugs and taps of _sympathy_ , the Goblin King was still _very_ determined to win. This time...

* * *

 _Breathe, Lara... Remember to breathe._ I couldn't tell if I was upside down or right side up. _In and out, Lara... In...and out..._. I couldn't tell if I was still falling or if I was sitting still. _Lara...Lara, don't..._ All I knew, all I could see, all I could feel was black pressure. Pressure from all directions. Enclosing, compressing, _constricting_. My chest was so tight I thought my ribs might crack. I didn't know whether my eyes were open or closed, but I did know...I did know that it was dark. It was dark and cold and I was four years old again. I was back in that well and the walls were closing in.

"Will..." Where was he? He had saved me last time. He had found me. He had brought Grandad with the rope ladders... Where was he? "Grandad? Will?" My voice wasn't even a whisper. It was so thin, I felt the slightest breeze might blow it away. "Will..." The pressure was so intense...so heavy... I felt my consciousness flickering in and out. Flashes of image began to pass before my eyes. Voices from my memory began to swirl through my head. _Remember to breathe, Lara... Just breath... You assume too much... AUNT LAWA! ...Have you always been such a bother? ...You wouldn't let that happen...would you, Aunt Lara? ...You have thirteen hours in which to solve my Labyrinth... Thirteen hours before the children become mine...forever... "Ello?"_

I frowned. I'd never heard _that_ voice before.

" _Ey... Are ye dead or what?"_

 _I'm hallucinating... I'm going to die._

"Oi!" Something poked my shoulder, _hard_.

My eyes snapped open and I sat up in an instant, only to hiss in pain as piercing, blinding light filled my existence. I squeezed my eyes shut again.

"Oh good, yer alive! Oi! She's alive!"

"She's alive!"

"She's _aliiiiive!_ "

"She's alive?!"

"Oh, thank _goodness!_ "

Gingerly, I opened my eyes the slightest bit, putting up a hand to shield them from the light. It flickered yellow and orange, dancing gracefully and banishing much of that dreaded pressure. Torches. Dozens of them. All burning in a wide half-circle around me...and all firmly gripped in the fists of very short, stocky...well, I wanted to say garden gnomes, but that wouldn't have been quite accurate. They were humanoid at least, all having short strong arms and legs and all having little round faces with large eyes over big noses and huge round ears sticking out from under swatches of muddy brown hair. I counted at least thirty odd, male and female. Young and old. Some had beards, some wore hats or miners' helmets, some carried shovels, hammers, and picks as well as torches. The males wore grubby overalls while the females wore roughspun dresses of brown, grey, or green. They were too small to be midgets. Too rough to be toddlers. Too...well...friendly looking to be goblins.

"Eeee, we thought ye'd never wake up!" said the nearest cave...gnome...guy. He looked to be one of the older ones, with a long grey beard sprouting from his cheeks and chin, grubby spectacles perched upon a bulbous nose, and beady black eyes lined with wrinkles. He wore an old felt hat with melting candles lining its brim, a leather tool belt (into which he tucked his beard), and a necklace made of various chunks of stone.

I blinked at him stupidly, trying to find my voice. "W...what?"

"You were lyin' there fer a good long while! Ye kept whimperin' an' moanin'. My Byrda thought ye was dyin'!"

"Tha's not true, G'vorrin, ya old cave toad!" One of the females, a short, plump little woman came bustling forward. Her brown hair was much longer than she was tall and had been braided into a thick rope that wrapped twice around her little shoulders like a scarf. "Don' ye listen to 'im, love. We knew ya wasn' dyin'."

I watched her a moment before parting my lips again. "What happened? Who are you? Where..." For the first time, I looked around to get a better feel for my surroundings. I was sat on the rough stone floor of a long tunnel with high arching ceilings. Stalactites and stalagmites grew up and down between the rough grey bricks, glittering slightly in the torchlight. I felt the pressure ease off even more when I realized just how large and open an area this was... I could handle openness. Enclosed spaces, I could not.

"Ye been sleepin' fer 'bout...what? Half'n hour?" the woman (obviously Byrda) said, glancing back at one of the other gnomes.

"Not quite twenty minutes, Mammy," said one of the younger males, checking the battered pocket watch that hung from his belt. I reached up to touch a sore spot on the back of my head. _I must have fainted..._ I'd never done that before. God, I was an idiot. _Nice going, Lara, you coward._

Byrda nodded. "Ye were out cold when th' Hands brought ye down. I never seen anyone so pale... 'Cept th' king, o' course..."

Mention of that lying, cheating, sorry excuse for a king sparked anger in my chest, but what Byrda said next captivated my interest.

"Tha's why I called th' family."

"Family?" I looked out over all those little faces.

"We're th' Under fam'ly," the bearded gnome with the hat said proudly.

"Th' _Unders_ from _under_ th' _Underground!_ " sang one of the little females.

"I'm G'vorrin Under," said the bearded fellow. "This is me wife Byrda. Tha's our oldest son Tock. Our daugh'er Myrr. Me brother G'vor an' his wife Nessy. Their kids Grendy, Sylla, an' Bo. Me other son Byr. Cousin Jod. Byrda's sister Kass. Her 'usband Doff, who 'appens ta be me other cousin..." He went on to tell me the names of every last Under. Each smiled and waved or squeaked a "hello" when pointed to. I couldn't help but feel a grin spreading across my own face. I should have been paralyzed with fear for being so far underground. I should have been a blubbering mess. But, the Unders seemed to banish all of that with their blessed torchlight and their huge smiles and their gravelly voices. They were friggin' adorable.

When finally the last Under had been named (G'vorrin and Byrda's newborn granddaughter Enna) G'vorrin turned to me with a grin. "Now tha's everybody. I know, there's a pile o' us. But, we all live happy as bugs in rugs down 'ere. We got a deal with tha king, y'see. S'long as we keep the walls n' bricks n' passages o' th' Oubliette in tip top shape, we git ta mine whatever we want. We Unders are miners first and foremost. Now...wha's yer name, love?"

I was still grinning. "It's really lovely to meet you all. My name's Lara."

"Lara!" Byrda chirped. "Tha's a pretty name. Tock, when ye have a daugh'er ye should call 'er Lara!"

"Good idea, Mammy!"

I almost blushed. I'd known the Unders for barely five minutes and they were already talking about naming a child after me.

"Ello, Lara," G'vorrin said, extending a stubby hand for me to shake. "You're th' new Champion, aren' ye?"

I shook his hand and nodded soberly. Though, at that moment I really didn't feel like much of a champion.

G'vorrin studied me a moment. "Normally, I don' condone wishin' a child away. If'n yer gonna have kids, ya better be takin' care of 'em. But, at leas' yer doin' tha right thing. Yer tryin' ta fix yer mistake and yer fightin' ta git yer baby back. I truly admire tha'." Byrda and the rest of the Unders nodded their agreement.

"I...I didn't wish them away..." I said quietly. "It's my fault. It really is all my fault. But...I didn't say the words. My niece...Callie...she...she got angry and wished for the goblins to take her little brother. When the king arrived, I told him that I wanted to run in her place, so he...he just...he took her as well. An entrance fee, he called her. None of this would have happened if I hadn't read them that stupid book. My sister is going to be heartbroken... It's my fault." The weight of such a loss struck me again. Much to my disgust, I felt hot tears welling behind my eyes. _You like to think you're so brave, Lara... Look at you now, so weak. Great... I'm gonna start blubbering in front of them all._

"The king's taken _two_ children?" G'vorrin asked, almost incredulously.

I nodded, stupid tears beginning to burn fiery tracks down my face. "Callie's only five... And Alec...Alec isn't even three yet." I pictured them huddled together up in that castle, clinging to each other and frightened out of their minds.

"His Majesty mus' be desperate, if'n he's taken two fer one..." the Under Patriarch mused, rubbing his bearded chin thoughtfully.

Byrda stepped forward with a little spotted handkerchief and began to dab gently at my eyes with it. "Now, don' ye fret none, Lara... Yer gonna get those babies back. We'll 'elp ye. Won' we, G'vorrin?" She shot her husband a quick glance.

G'vorrin nodded, still rubbing his chin. "Aye. I hate goin' agains' tha king...but when there's children involved there's only one thing ta do. Unders! Ye all agreed tha' we should 'elp young Lara?" Every last Under chirped, squeaked, or grunted their approval. I never in my life thought that I'd feel such a wave of affection for a clan of cave dwelling garden gnomes.

G'vorrin grinned. "Then it's settled. Jorkhin, give us yer map."

One of the Unders, a male wearing an old miner's helmet, jumped in surprise before looking down at his feet awkwardly. "Aw, give over, G'vorrin... Ye know Unders don' carry maps."

"Aye, but _you_ do. Yer jus' as bad as our old Gran'da fer gettin' lost. Ev'ryone knows it." The rest of the family mumbled in agreement.

Jorkhin sighed and shuffled forward, pulling a folded square of parchment from his shirtfront as he did so.

"We'll get ya a new one, Jor," said Byrda. "Don' be sour."

G'vorrin took the map and unfolded it on the floor in front of me. The Oubliette was vast upon the faded brown of he parchment, all twists and turns...false tunnels and dead ends. G'vorrin tapped the map with a stubby finger. "Now...we're here... An' the quickest way to th' castle is through there... Give us yer charcoal, Tock." He then proceeded to mark out a route for me, explaining each step as he did so. "It's gonna be a long walk...but in th' end it'll save ye more time than navigatin' th' Labyrinth itself... There. Finished." He straightened up and handed me the map. "If ye can't follow that out o' 'ere, then there's nothin' more I can do fer ye." He grinned broadly. I smiled my thanks.

"Do ye want one o' us ta go with ye, love?" Byrda asked. "It can be a bit grim all on yer own... We can't all go, but I'm sure one o' me boys will be glad ta volunteer."

Tock, the one with the pocket watch, stepped forward. "I'll go with 'er, Mammy. I know these tunnels like th' backs o' me hands." He grinned at me.

I really did want him to go with me. I wanted it so badly. A companion would make my journey through the dark so much easier. The very thought of the Unders leaving me alone down there was beginning to make my head spin again... "Won't you get into trouble if the king finds out?"

"Tha's a risk I'm willin' ta take," Tock said fearlessly. "I got twelve little brothers an' sisters o' me own. An' me wife is expectin' our third baby in tha' fall. So when it comes ta children, Miss Lara...I'll do anythin' ta see 'em home safe."

I almost teared up again at the little fellow's bravery. His words made my decision for me. There was no way in hell I was going to allow the Goblin King to harm them. Not on my account. "Thank you, Tock. But, I'm not willing to risk you or any member of your family over this. You've done more than enough for me already and I can't even begin to repay you."

Byrda placed a hand on my arm. "You jus' get those kids back, Lara. That'll be repayment enough."

I parted ways with the Unders with several well wishes, my map, a torch and one to spare, and a handful of little stones that the youngest ones had _insisted_ were lucky. G'vorrin, Byrda, and Tock were the last to bid me farewell as the rest of their family disappeared down a narrow side tunnel. Tock stepped forward and placed a tiny silver whistle in my hand.

"If'n ye need anythin', Miss Lara," he said, closing my fingers around the whistle. "Anythin' at all, ya jus' give a whistle. We'll hear ya an' help will come." I thanked him.

Byrda stepped forward and gave me a motherly hug. "Ya sure I can't make ye any san'wiches for tha trip, Lara?"

"Oh, Byrda..." G'vorrin said, prying his wife's arms from my neck. "She don' 'ave time fer food. She bes' get goin' now. Ye can make 'er a crackin' good feast when she comes back." He turned to me then. "When it's all said an' done, Lara... Ye will come back, won' ye? We'll all be wonderin' how ye go. I know some o' us..." He gestured to his wife and son. "Meself included...won' be able ta rest easy until we know ya made it."

I smiled at him. "I'll let you know if I can. I promise. Thank you so much for this. Really... I can't even begin to-" G'vorrin raised a hand, silencing me.

"Say no more, Lara... Jus' get those kids back."

 **AN: Another day... Another entry... I hope you lot didn't find this one too dull. I really did enjoy creating the Under family. Funny thing was...I hadn't planned to include them at all. They just sort of wrote themselves. In the end I can't help but think that they add a small element of charm :)**

 **I had another interesting thought while writing this one... What would** _ **Jareth**_ **see if he opened what Clutch referred to as the "Scary Door"? I think it's worth some contemplation... Any ideas?**

 **I think** _ **I**_ **would see a massive semi truck... One that I would then have to pilot all by myself through downtown Los Angeles on a Saturday in summer... *shudders***

 **As always, I do not own the Labyrinth or its original characters. Clutch, the Unders, Lara Tyler, and her family, however, are all mine :)**

 **Thank you all, beloved readers. Enjoy!**

 **-FireDancer**


	7. Chapter 7

**Darkness, Darkness**

 _Scritchy-scratch. Splishy-splash._ Clutch's little feet made a lot of noise as he scurried through the drippy-damp of the Oubliette off tunnel. Occasionally, an icy droplet of water would fall from the low ceiling to land on his pointed nose or ping against his little helmet. That was bad enough. It was the very worst when stray droplets landed on the back of his neck and began to trickle icy trails down beneath his collar, making him want to squirm. Too bad the Hands dropped him in that particular tunnel. Clutch didn't like drippy-damp... The only good thing was that he wasn't far from the girl. He couldn't be. He could smell that funny human smell of hers. Not a bad smell...just _strange_.

"Clutch is _friend_ ," he said aloud to himself as he scurried, rehearsing for his upcoming performance and trying to sound as convincing as possible. "Clutch thinks king is very mean, nasty, b-bad guy. K-k-king is-" the little goblin faltered and clapped a hand over his mouth in dismay. "Oh, no, no, no! Clutch so very, very bad... If Clutch's mama heard him say such nasty-bad things..." Every good goblin loved and adored their king...the fact that their adoration went hand in hand with a paralyzing fear barely even registered. Saying such nasty-bad things about his beloved Majesty turned Clutch's little goblin stomach and left an awful taste in his mouth. "You gots ta do it, Clutch... His Majesty gived you a job to do..."

" _You must tell her how awful you think I am,_ " the king had said. " _If you just pretend to hate me, Lara will trust you immediately._ " All he had to do was play pretend. Like that time he and Pinch-pin had pretended to be dragons soaring through the air when they leapt from the roof of Pinch-pin's old Granny's house. That had been a lot of fun... The bumps, bruises, and busted noses from their crash landing hadn't been so fun, but goblins were fast healers. "Clutch is good at playing pretend..." he said. "Clutch can do it! For His Majesty!" He stopped to proudly salute the darkness, before scurrying on his way.

After a few dozen yards, Clutch paused at a fork in the tunnel, sniffed the air, and carried on down the right hand path. He couldn't have been scuttling for more than half a minute more before he heard a sound that stopped him in his tracks. He waited for the quiet echoes of his footsteps to die out and held his breath, straining to hear the sound again. There. It was very faint. Very gently reverberating through the darkness... Music. Voice music. Not the raucous drunken grunts and squeaks that the goblins produced when they sang, but smooth, summery sounds...like the king always made. Almost a lullaby, but not quite... Clutch could hear a lot of things in this voice music, things that made him sad and happy at the same time. Scared and brave. The little goblin shook his head in attempt to clear it. He just didn't like feeling so many different things at once. It always made him dizzy and confused, and just then he had a job to do. He nosed the air again, and continued toward the Lara smell. The voice music persisted, growing steadily clearer and more distracting with every step. _Who'd wanna be singin' down here?_ He wondered. He knew that those cave gnome clans liked to sing while they worked, but their voices were either low and gravelly or high and squeaky. And besides, there weren't any of them around. Cave gnomes had a _very_ cave gnome scent and all Clutch could smell was the Lara girl.

Before long, another smell began to tickle his nostrils. The smell of burning cloth and oil. The smell of a torch. The little goblin frowned and scurried all the faster. Yard by yard the smells grew stronger, the singing grew louder, and Clutch began to notice glimmers of yellow firelight dancing and reflecting against the damp walls of the off tunnel. And then he found a main passage. The gentle singing and smells of girl and fire were stronger than ever there, and the yellow light burned clearly. Clutch ducked low and inched his way forward, carefully poking his nose around the edge of the tunnel opening. As he did so he had to stifle a gasp.

There was the Lara girl. She wasn't curled in a heap on the floor. She wasn't crying or shaking in fear. She was walking right down the middle of the passage, her steps careful but steady. In one hand she carried a burning torch, in the other a piece of something like paper ( _map?_ ), and she still had that sword on her back. Most surprising of all, _she_ was the one making the voice music. She was making voice music and walking strong and didn't look frightened at all.

Clutch retreated a few steps and pressed his back to the wall of the off tunnel, eyes wide yellow orbs in the darkness and little chest heaving in panic. She wasn't supposed to do that. She was supposed to be super-scared right now! If Majesty saw this, he would think Clutch was a liar. She wasn't supposed to do that! _Calm down, Clutchy..._ he thought to himself. _Girl still don't know the way out. Just remember...wait til she gets close to Way Out...then lead her a-shtray. You's good at playin' pretend, Clutchy. You can do this, for Majesty..._

Clutch peered into the main passageway again, waited until the Lara girl was a good distance ahead, and began to follow her, doing his very best to keep quiet as a mouse and remain unseen.

* * *

 _Roughly Ten Minutes Earlier_

 _Okay... Okay... This isn't so bad, Lara._ My footsteps echoed lightly against the walls of the oubliette, melding gently with the flickering torchlight. _That was the third off tunnel... Two more. And then a right turn. Not so bad._ Much to my surprise, I was faring somewhat better than I thought I would after the Unders and I had parted ways. I had expected to get no more than fifty yards, become lost, and find myself reduced to a babbling mess before half an hour was out. Thankfully, this had yet to happen. The route that G'vorrin had drawn up for me was almost too easy to follow, and the torch did help considerably to keep my nyctophobia at bay. _It's amazing... What a difference can be made with a little bit of light._ Though light still wasn't just enough...

Those first few minutes on my own were still a bit difficult. That familiar sense of loneliness and deprivation began to rear its ugly head within me once more. I felt as though I alone existed in my blessed ring of torchlight. Just me...and the darkness. _The_ darkness. That great looming, living thing lying in wait just beyond the edges of my haven. My monster under the bed. My patient and persistent nightmare. Ever present and ever silent. Following me through my life like a phantom shadow, tethered to me by my fear. And I was just so tired of it. I was so tired of feeling weak and helpless, like some stupid little girl. Enough was enough. I stopped dead in my tracks. _If enough is enough, Lara, then why haven't you done anything about it? Why does this still have so much power over you?_

"Easy," I muttered bitterly. "Because I _am_ a weak, frightened little girl. And all my life I've done nothing but play pretend."

 _You are only weak if you say you are... If you want to make a change, do it._

"Easy for you to say. You sound like you've been watching too much Oprah, and- _ohmyGod_ , I'm schizophrenic! As if I didn't have enough to worry about!"

 _Exactly! Why are you wasting time talking to yourself when you should be focused on rescuing the kids?! Come on, Lara! It's time to crush this demon of yours and get back in business._

I was right, of course. I usually am, so there was really no point in arguing. This needed to happen immediately if I wanted to succeed. I breathed deeply and raised my eyes to the darkness, staring directly into the heart of my oldest enemy. If I listened carefully, I could almost hear it breathing, a great and subtle rise and fall that only added to my strange belief that the darkness was indeed alive. _And if it is alive..._ I thought. _Then it can also be tamed._ Not in the way that most people sought to tame the dark, by banishing it with a mere flick of a switch or spark of a match. No. Light just wasn't enough in this situation. It wasn't enough for me. To me the darkness was alive, and needed to be treated as such. _And how best to calm a living creature, Lara? How best in this situation?_ Easy. Just as I would any living thing... By staying calm...and speaking gently. Or...perhaps better in this situation...by singing.

Almost as soon as I reached this conclusion, a song floated effortlessly to the fore of my mind. A song so absolutely perfect, I thought for sure that is must have come to me by divine intervention. A small smile pulled at the corners of my lips. Oh, yes... This was the perfect song. Because it was a song composed directly _for_ the darkness.

 _"Darkness, darkness_

 _Be my pillow_

 _Take my hand_

 _And let me sleep..."_

I sang softly, gently, allowing the song consume my every fiber. And then I began to take careful steps forward.

 _"In the coolness of your shadow..._

 _In the silence of your deep..."_

I know how lame it must sound. But with each step, I gained a little more confidence. With each verse, I gained a little more strength.

 _"Darkness, darkness_

 _Hide my yearning_

 _For the things_

 _That cannot be..."_

If I did as the song suggested...if I viewed the darkness as ancient, benevolent, and wise... If I dared to view the darkness as a friend and not an all consuming evil... Well, then what point would I have in being afraid?

 _"Keep my mind from constant turning..._

 _Toward the things I cannot see..."_

I smiled broadly and walked on without fear, gleefully imagining the look on the Goblin King's face when I marched through those castle doors.

 **Greetings all! As you can see, I have finally returned from my long hiatus. I do apologize for my absence... Unfortunately, that was due to circumstances beyond my control. But, I am here now and I shall do my best to remain so!**

 **So. Yes. No Jareth in this one, I'm afraid... Darn it. And I agree that it was a bit short. But! I assure you that there will be more to come.**

 **I'd like to take this opportunity to personally thank both _Cotille S_ and _alexc1209_ for such lovely reviews. Your feedback is most appreciated and your comments genuinely brightened my day. I do hope this story brings you some enjoyment.**

 **And thank you to my wonderful followers. All...17 of you! I do hope you keep reading...**

 **Farewell for now, but not for long!**

 **-FireDancer**


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